From the CEO

Over the years our services have grown substantially in volume, geographic coverage and diversity. We now have eight major residential care sites accommodating nearly 700 residents, independent housing for 200, and for community-based clients an extensive range of long-term care, rehabilitation, therapy, hospital avoidance and discharge, disability and mental health services. Geographically our client base extends from the southern Adelaide metropolitan area as far north as Port Germaine and Orroroo.

It is our view of future client needs and preferences which is driving changes in how we will plan, manage and deliver services in the years ahead.

Present government policies, and the way in which aged care providers manage their services, see residential care and community care as quite separate service types, catering to different groups of people. Under those policies, more than 80% of funding for long term (continuing) care in Australia is spent within residential care services.

Helping Hand sees a future in which clients will have much more personal freedom to choose whether they would like to receive such care in a residential facility or at home. Helping Hand also believes that as government policies and funding change to allow more choice, residential care homes will play a greatly increased role in providing respite and short-term rehabilitation services for people who wish to continue living in their own homes.

If our clients are to be able to make successful choices about their care:

• they will need better access to information,
• state and federal governments will need to coordinate and align their service planning more effectively, and
• organisations like Helping Hand are going to need to provide a “one-stop shop” to respond to people’s enquiries about care.

In other words, we believe the preferred future for the aged care sector, and the ways in which it supports clients, should be based on integrated service planning, service information, client entry, staffing and funding. So Helping Hand has decided to “model” that preferred future within our own management structure.

Our services are arranged into three key service divisions which are responsible for delivering a range of both residential and community based care. This new structure took effect on 1st July 2006 and will see us continue to build on the concept of integrated care. Our future planning will see us focus on integrated services to provide even better choice and services to our clients.

Ian Hardy, Chief Executive

Top